The Four Serpents of Azeroth
by Emerald Smoke
Summary: The most unlikely romance comes about as Hermione Granger enters her final year at Hogwarts. Her life as well as the ones closest to her become endangered as her family holds the key to the four most powerful jewels of all time. Draco/Hermione fic
1. The Letter

__

THE FOUR SERPENTS OF AZEROTH

"Ahhh!!!!! My eyes! What on earth are you doing?!," screamed a 17 year old Hermione Granger. 

"Opening your windows to let some fresh air in. It's not my fault that you seem to be blinded by natural light," replied her mother.

It was true; ever since she ended her sixth year at Hogwarts, she had been spending al her time locked up in her room doing her homework. She was going to be starting her seventh year as Head Girl, and she believed that now was not the time to be slacking off. 

"Now come downstairs sweetheart. It's already almost noon." 

Hermione's cat Crookshanks jumped up onto her bed and began purring loudly, giving her the hint that he wanted his tummy rubbed. "Not now Crookshanks," she mumbled, gently pushing the cat away. She groaned and rubbed the sleep out of her eyes as her mother walked out of the room. 30 minutes later Hermione was fully dressed, walking downstairs in an old Aerosmith tee shirt, (a muggle band her mother listened to when she was younger), and jeans, her hair thrown up into a messy bun. Her hand slid down the oak rail with each step she took.

Their house was an enourmous two-story that included a library (her parents knew how much she liked to read), an office for each of her parents, and a pool in the backyard. There were wooden floors instead of carpet, but there was a long green rug that led from the top to the bottom of the stairs. The walls were a very light brown, decorated with pictures of Hermione's family and her relatives.

"Morning pumpkin," Jonathon Granger said to his daughter as she walked into the kitchen complete with green marble counters and an espresso machine. "Well, I'm off to work," he said rising from the table finishing off the last of his coffee. "See you all tonight!" 

Hermione and her mother bid her dad goodbye, and then went about their business, Hermione getting something to eat since she slept through breakfast, and Annelise (as was her mother's name) washing the dishes. Halfway through eating her orange, a sleek, grey owl suddenly swooped in from the open kitchen window and landed on the counter in front of Hermione. 

"Oh! Is that from Harry?," her mother asked. Ever since meeting him the summer before at the Weasly's house, Annelise had taken a liking to Harry. 

"No, its not. Harry has his own Snowy owl so he wouldn't have sent this one." 

Before taking the letter from the owl, Hermione reached over to the cookie jar on the counter and grabbed a shortbread cookie from it. She took the letter from the owl, handed it the cookie, and preceded to open the letter. It read: 

__

To Miss Hermione Granger: 

Since you have been selected as Head Girl for your seventh and Final year at Hogwarts, Professor Dumbledore has asked me to inform you that the last week of your summer holiday, you will be staying here at the school. Therefore, you will need to be getting your supplies earlier than usual this year. The Headmaster will be implementing some new rules this year, so your attending the school early will be mandatory. You will be joined by this year's Head Boy as well as the school prefects. You must be at the train station before 10 am sharp, though I doubt you'll have any problem arriving there on time. 

Sincerely, 

Professor M. McGonogall 

After reading it, Hermione replied with a short "Okay, I will be there," and sent the owl off. She then informed her mother and ran upstairs to finish her homework. (She only had an essay left to write for Transfiguration).

'This should be interesting,' she thought to herself while pulling out her quills and parchment. 'I can't wait to see Harry and Ron and Ginny again. I haven't seen them all summer.' She smiled at the thought of her friends. Her smile suddenly came to a frown though, as she remembered the thought that she had kept in the very back corners of her mind all summer, the one thing she had been dreading: Draco Malfoy was going to be Head Boy.


	2. At the Malfoy Manor

Hey everyone! I hope anyone who read the first chapter liked it! This is my first attempt at writing a fan fic, so bear with me. Also, I'm sorry for the first chapter being so short. This chapter's going to be short too, but not as much. The third chapter's the long one. 

disclaimer: I don't own anything. Everything Harry Potter related belongs to the brilliant J.K. Rowling. Azeroth (the name in the title) is from Warcraft II.

"DRACO LUCIOUS MALFOY! COME DOWN HERE THIS INSTANT!"

Draco snapped his book shut as he jumped out of the bed at the sound of his father's booming voice. He had been reading one of his favorite books, The Hobbit (a popular muggle book), when he heard the one thing that made his insides churn, and his heart fill with terror. He didn't like muggles, really. He just didn't mind some of their books. Of course, he had to associate with them at one point, but other tan that he hated them. 

He quickly placed the book inside a black metal box, locked it, and hid it underneath a loose floorboard beneath his bed. _What could I have done now?,_ he thought to himself while making sure his collection of muggle books was safely hidden from view. Draco was a Malfoy, and as everyone knows, Malfoys are a very powerful dark family. Malfoys also detest "mudbloods", or muggle born witches and wizards. If his father were to find out that his only son had been reading muggle literature, Draco would most likely be severely beaten, or worse, be taken to one of his father's Death Eaters meetings and have his punishment decided by Lord Voldemort himself. 

This had happened only once before and he had learned all too quickly to be extremely careful when hiding info about muggles or muggle objects. Draco shuddered at the thought of what happened to him one night, a few years ago: his father had found him laughing with a muggle boy when he was 8. (He didn't know he was a muggle at the time. He seemed like a wizard. He had a wand and black robes on, just like him. Unfortunately, Draco didn't know that it was just a regular muggle boy playing in his new costume he had gotten for Halloween). Furious, his father took him to Lord Voldemort where he was whipped 40 times in the back before having to witness the death of the little boy by the killing curse while screaming for his parents. He sould still hear his screams at night. 

"DAMMIT DRACO! DO NOT MAKE ME COME UP THERE AND GET YOU MYSELF." 

'Coming _dad,' _he thought bitterly as he sprinted our of his room. He ran down the winding stairs, past the pictures of his family, most of whom had been Death Eaters. The sounds of his feet echoed in the hallway. Draco hated this place. It was so dark and lifeless, and he had nothing but bad memories of his house. The house was beautifully really, with huge gargoyles outside, stone-tiled floors, and intricately designed chandeliers. Anyone else, who had not known of who lived there and what went on at the manor would have loved to live there. Draco turned a corner, and slowed to a jog entering his father's study.

"Alright, I'm here. Now what do you want?," Draco asked coldly.

Lucious's steel-grey eyes flickered maliciously. "Come come now Draco. There's no need for your attitude."

Draco stood, staring into his father's eyes.

"Your mother and I will be traveling to Ireland at the end of next week on business."

Somehow Draco felt that their "business" trip had to do with Voldemort.

"Therefore, you will need to find somewhere to stay."

"Why can't I just stay here?," Draco asked, still in his icy tone.

Lucious chuckled to himself, making Draco feel a little uneasy. "You can't be serious. After all that you've done, you're lucky you're not living in the dungeons permanently."

Draco's temper flared. "I did in live in the dungeons. For 5 months I lived down there!" He remembered the little muggle boy. 

"And you would've stayed longer had it not been for your mother!," growled Lucious. 

__

How the hell was I supposed to know that he was a muggle?, Draco thought to himself. _I was eight years old for goodness' sake._

"Now, find somehere to stay or-"

"Or what?," Draco asked, a little frightened at what the answer might be.

"Nevermind finding somewhere to stay, my boy. You will be staying with the Dark Lord."

"WHAT!?," Draco protested.

"It's quite logical actually. Since I would've been taking you to my Death Eater meetings soon anyway, why not send you of to Him early? Just think of it, Draco. You are going to be the heir to the Greatest Wizard of All Time."

Draco just lowered his head. He knew better than to try and argue with his father on this subject. "Yes _father," _he muttered.

Lucious heard his snide remark and slapped Draco hard on the face. "You will NOT speak to me in such a tone. Now get out of my sight before I _really _lose my temper."

Draco quickly got up and walked back to his room, rubbing his jaw. He was about to lie down on his bed when he heard a tapping on his window. He got up and walked over to it. Seeing a large Barn Owl hovering outside of it, he opened his window to let the owl in. He grabbed the letter from the owl's beak. Reading it, the aching of his jaw suddenly disappeared and his heart lifted. "..._the second to last week of the summer holidays, you will be staying at Hogwarts..."_ _YES!_, Draco thought as he ran around his room. He grabbed a galleon from his dresser and handed it to the owl. "Sorry, this is all I have for you." Nonetheless, the owl took it and flew away.

He smiled to himself at the thought of not having to stay with Voldemort. He reread the letter over again, sitting on his black velvet bed. Unlike Hermione's, Draco's letter read: ...._You will be joined by this years Prefects, as well as the Head Girl...._ Draco groaned as he thought of having to spend his entire final year at Hogwarts living with one of the people that he hated them most._The only thing that is going to ruin my fun_, thought Draco, _is that stupid mudblood bitch as Head Girl_.


	3. Aboard the Hogwarts Express

ENJOY!  
  
  
disclaimer: Once again, I own nothing.

One month had passed since Hermione Granger recieved the letter from Professor McGonogall, and now she was packing to go off for her final year at Hogwarts. She sighed to herself as she sat on her turquoise and indigo embroidered bed. She glanced around her room. Pictures of her and her friends covered her walls, bookshelves, and nightstand. She got up and began walking around, reminiscing of her previous years at the school. She smiled as she looked at all of her pictures. She saw Harry and Ron waving to her from outside of the Three Broomsticks on their very first trip there all together. There was one from the Yule Ball, and one from the last summer when they had all stayed at Ron's house.

"Hermione! We're going to be late if you don't hurry!," yelled her mother from the bottom of the stairs.

"Coming!"

Hermione grabbed her trunk which contained all of her school supplies and clothing, among other various things, and her cat Crookshanks. She took one last look at her fairy themed room and left to begin her seventh year.

+++

Draco Malfoy was carrying his trunk quietly down the stairway as not to wake his parents. He felt there was no need to see them before he left; he had written them a note the night before and he decided to leave it on the kitchen table. He placed his trunk beside the door, and silently crept to the kitchen to leave a note on the table. 

"Good morning Draco."

Draco jumped so violently that he knocked the bowl of fruit on the counter to the floor, making a sound like breaking china as it collided with the tile floor.

"You nearly gave me a heart attack! What the hell are you doing down here?," Draco growled.

"Merely saying goodbye to my only son. It was so thoughtful of you as to let us know when you were leaving." 

"You're welcome," Draco sneered. "Now if you'll excuse me, I must be leaving," he said while turning to head back to the front door. 

"Oh Draco," his father called. "The Dark Lord regrets that you won't be joining him this week. However, he has asked me to inform you that when you come home for the Christmas holidays, he will make you a Death Eater."

Draco's face paled, though you couldn't see it in the dimly lit kitchen.

"Yes, he believes you are ready."

Draco stayed silent. In all of his life, this is the one time he couldn't think of anything to say.

Lucious smirked. "See you soon." 

With that, he got up and returned to his room. Draco stood there in disbelief for a moment. _I don't want to be a Death Eater,_ he thought. _I refuse to become like him. There must be a way out of this, but how? How the hell am I supposed to get out of this? _He ran his hand through is sleek blonde hair._ Then again, _said another voice inside his head, _this is expected of you. Most of the people who know you already think you're a Death Eater, so why not go ahead and become one? Being Voldemort's heir probably isn't that bad..._

Suddenly realizing the time, Draco snapped back to reality and hurried off on his way to Platform Nine and Three Quarters to board the Hogwarts Express.

+++

It was quite an unusual site to see; there was hardly anyone at Platform Nine and Three Quarters, since only the Prefects and Head Boy and Girl were riding that day. Nonetheless, there were still people hussling about, saying good-byes to family, and catching up with old friends. Hermione walked onto the platform looking around for her two best friends. It didn't take long until she spotted the firey red hair of Ron and Ginny Weasly. She took off running towards them, as fast as her legs would allow.

"Harry look! Its Hermione!" Ron pointed to a frizzy haired girl running towards them. Harry turned around just before he was nearly knocked down by one of his best friends. She may be small, but Hermione could be quite strong when she wanted to be. "Hermione!," he yelled, giving the girl a hug. 

" 'Mione! I'm so glad to see you!," screamed Ginny, giving her best friend a hug.

"We've missed you," chimed in Ron.

"I've missed you too. The three of you," she replied, giving Ron a hug. "Come on, lets hurry and get on the train, we have a lot to catch up on."

The foursome loaded their things onto the train as quickly as they could, and got into the same compartment they had always gotten into whenever they rode the Hogwarts Express, since the first day they ever met.They sat down, Ron and Harry across from Hermione, Crookshanks, and Ginny. Their compartment was small, but in a cozy way. It had cherrywood walls, a huge window that allowed them to view the outside world as it passed beside them, and green cushions embroidered with leaves. Hermione spoke up. 

"Do you guys realize that this is the last time we'll be riding on this train together?"

There was silence as the two boys and Ginny looked at their surroundings.

"Wow. I never thought of that," said Harry. 

"Yeah, but technically, we still have the ride home," Ginny added.

"Oh yeah, I forgot about that. Well, this is the second to last time then," replied Hermione. 

Crookshanks, who had been sleeping quite soundly, awoke at the sound of the foursome talking. He stretched, and then jumped from Hermione's lap to Rons. He purred as Ron stroked his back.

"I can't believe I ever hated this cat," he said.

"Yeah, but I can remember when you wanted to kill it for trying to hurt Scabbers," said Harry, laughing at the thought.

Hermione smiled as the Harry, Ron, and Ginny began reminiscing of the years past at Hogwarts. Soon she began to get bored, and decided to take a walk around the train. "I'll be back soon. I'm just going to go walk around for a bit."

"Okay," the trio said, not even bothering to look up from their conversation.

+++

Chills ran down Draco's spine as he sat in his uniquely decorated compartment. It was almost like Harry, Ron, and Hermione's except it was more roomy, and had snakes carved into the cherrywood walls. He, along with Crabbe and Goyle, had taken it upon themselves to add something to the compartment everytime they boarded the train. (Crabbe and Goyle weren't there though, because, as one would obviously detect, they weren't Prefects). No one else dared to enter it, since "Draco the Death Eater" and his cronies rode in there. 

He sighed to himself while leaning his head against the window, looking out onto the misty and slowly darkening landscape- they were getting closer to Hogwarts. _I am going to be the heir to the Dark Throne,_ he thought. He had been thinking about what his father had said earlier that morning all day long, and slowly but surely that little argumentative voice in his head had taken over what little defense against him being a Death Eater and Voldemort's heir he had left. His thoughts were soon broken as a familiar figure slipped into his compartment and seated herself next to him.

"Hello Pansy," he said in a monotone voice. _Why does she always have to pester me?,_ he asked himself.

"Hey Draco. I missed you this summer," she said, leaning closer to him.

__

I bet, he thought.

"Did you miss me?," she asked seductively, crossing her left leg over his. 

He lied. "Of course I did." Pansy was always good for one thing, and he really needed something to take his mind off of Lord Voldemort and his plans to make Draco his heir. He didn't want so much pressure on him right when he returned to school.

"Good." She smiled. "I was getting bored sitting with Lavender, so I decided to pay you a little visit. Are you bored, Draco?"

He watched as Pansy began unbuttoning his shirt, kissing his neck with each button.

"Yes," he replied before he kissed her mouth passionately.

There was really nothing there in the means of an actual relationship. In reality, Draco didn't much care for Pansy. He always thought she was really annoying. But on the contrary, she did have a good way of taking his mind off of things. Their "meetings" had been occurring since the end of their fifth year. They remained merely "friends with benefits." However, they weren't really friends, so they were "people with benefits".

+++

Hermione wandered the corridor of the train. It was relaxing to her. The feel of the plush red carpet and the humming sound of the train seemed to soothe her. She was getting nearer to the end of the train and was about to turn to go back to her friends when she heard sounds coming from the compartment to her right. _Merlin!, _she thought. _Who would do that on the train! They should at least have the decency to save it for their dorm rooms._ She quickly turned and started back towards her own compartment, but curiousity got the best of her. _It won't be so bad if I found out who it was,_ she told herself. Slowly, she crept up to the door; it was cracked open. She peered in, and saw Pansy Parkinson and her most hated enemy, Draco Malfoy, going at it right before her eyes. She gasped loudly. _Damn it!,_ she cursed to herself. She turned to go for fear of being caught because of the noise her sudden shock had made, but it was too late. As Pansy was working her way down Draco's body, he looked up to see that the door was cracked open, and that someone was hurrying from the door. It was obvious that the person had seen them. 

"Shit!," Draco cursed aloud. He pushed Pansy off of him. "Stay here," he said and ran out the door. It was a good thing Pansy hadn't gotten his pants unbuttoned yet.

Hermione was hurrying down the hall and thought she had gotten away, until-

"GRANGER!"

She turned around. "What do you want, _Malfoy_?"

"Why the hell were you watching me and Pansy? Wishing it was you there instead of her?," he sneered.

Hermione snickered. "Are you kidding me? Why would I want to fuck a ferret?"

Draco's temper rose. "Maybe because you can't get any from Potter."

Hermione's eyes widened, and she walked straight up to Draco and slapped him.

Draco grabbed Hermione's wrist roughly. Hermione became frightened quickly. She always knew Draco to be a jerk, but she had never seen him this angry before.

"Filthy mudblood!" Draco pushed her into an empty compartment next to them. Hermione struggled to get free, but that only made him grip her tighter. Draco's silver eyes filled with malice. Hermione winced in pain under his grasp.

"D-Draco," she whispered as tears began to fill her eyes "You're h-hurting me."

He stopped and looked into her eyes. _Did she just call me by my first name?,_ he thought. _Oh no._ He looked at what he was doing and suddenly felt sorry for her. He loosened his grip, but didn't let go just yet. He had never realized how beautiful she was until now. She had grown alot over the years. She was shorter than he was, and was thin but curvey. Her hair was a bit longer and less frizzy than it had been before. Her eyes were like pools of chocolate, and accented her face in such a way that it made her look like a goddess. 

Hermione looked at him. In just a few moments his eyes had gone from a cold and lifeless grey, to eyes that were warm and caring. She had never been this close to him. She was so close she could feel his minty breath on her face. His bare, chisled chest was pressed against her. As she looked at him and his 5' 11 frame, she didn't see the cruelness she usually saw. She saw a kindness in him. He looked almost angelic with his pale skin, blonde hair, and silver eyes. His eyes were what captivated her the most. 

"I-I'm sorry," he said in a barely audible whisper. Realizing who he was with, who he was looking at with longing and desire, he let go of her completely and walked briskly out of the room.

Hermione stayed in the same spot against the wall of the compartment staring at the doorway as if she was waiting for him to come back. After a few minutes she came back to her senses and began to walk to her compartment. She looked at her wrists. They were red and were beginning to show bruises. _I have to hide them from Harry and Ron. If they see them, they'll go ballistic. Especially Harry,_ she thought to herself. She took out her wand and uttered a spell that would hide her bruises before opening the door to her compartment.

"Are you alright Hermione?," Ginny asked as soon as Hermione sat back down next to her. Hermione looked much paler than she had when she left.

Hermione smiled. "I'm fine Ginny."

Ginny smiled at Hermione before re-immersing herself in the conversation with her brother and Harry.

Hermione didn't say much on the way back, just a few "Mm-hm"s and "yup"s every now and then. She stared out of the window at the passing landscapes thinking about those eyes, those brilliant silver eyes. 


	4. Unexpected Changes

disclaimer: I don't own anything. JK owns all Harry Potter related things, and Warcraft II owns Azeroth.

**__**

Chapter 4: Unexpected Changes

Arriving at Hogwarts was much like it had been in the past. The students exited the train dressed in their robes, and piled into the awaiting horseless carriages. Sadly, Hermione couldn't join the rest of her friends as she had usually done, for there was a carriage at the very front reserved for the Head Boy and Head Girl. "See you all inside," she said to her friends, and walked to her carriage. 

Inside, it was decorated with gorgeous ivory walls, laced with mother of pearl. It didn't have the mold and straw smell as the rest of the carriages, but had an undistinguishable scent. It smelled good though, whatever it was. She sat as close to the window as she could, away from the door. She trembled with nervousness, and her stomach felt like there were a million butterflies swarming around inside of her. _What do I have to be nervous for? Its only Draco that's coming, and you hate him, remember? He thinks you're not anything more than a good-for-nothing mudblood._ The butterflies in her stomach died down as she was soon filled with uncontrollable anger. So much that she almost wanted to cry. All those awful things he said to her; the memories had always came flooding back each year she returned to school.

Just then, the carriage door opened, and Draco stepped in. He took a seat across from her, and as close to the opposite end as he could get. A few seconds later, the carriages took off.

"It's about damn time. Just because you're a Malfoy, doesn't mean you can do things in your own sweet time," Hermione growled, as she looked out of the window, her anger still swelling.

Draco was taken aback. He had been thinking about her ever since returning to his compartment on the train. He had kicked Pansy out, wanting to be alone with his thoughts. For some odd reason, he thought that she would act kinder the next time they spoke. Boy, was he wrong.

"Shove it, Granger," he snapped. "I don't need any comments from a mudblood." What ever thoughts he had about Hermione earlier were now gone.

Hermione balled up her fists tightly and clenched her teeth, trying to fight back the tears that were coming as she continued to stare out the window. Tears were silently streaming down her cheeks. She tried her best to keep them hidden from Draco. It didn't work for long.

"Are you crying, Granger?," he snickered.

Hermione closed her eyes, then turned her head towards Draco. Opening them back up she saw him staring at her, an amused look on his face. She didn't say anything. She turned her head back towards the window and stared into the night. The lake was glistening underneath the full moon.

A few moments later, the carriages came to a stop, and the students began piling out of them. In just ten minutes, they were all walking together to the Great Hall. Hermione stayed as far away from Draco as she could. She could feel him watching her, but she didn't care. Once she reunited with Harry, Ron and Ginny, she acted like she didn't have a care in the world. Hermione and Ginny busted into a fit of giggles when Ginny told her that she found a picture of Lavender Brown Ron had hidden away in one of his drawers. 

"What's so funny?," Harry asked the girls when they came to a stop in front of the Great Hall. Hermione looked up at Ron and burst out laughing. 

Ron's ears went red. "What?"

"Nothing," Ginny squeaked. 

After their giggling subsided, they all began to talk about what new rules were going to be installed at Hogwarts this year. 

"I hope he's not canceling all of our Hogsmeade visits," worried Ron. "I can't live without butterbeer!"

"I bet it's nothing," said Harry. He smiled at Ginny, who turned a bright shade of crimson.

The students continued guessing on what the new rules would be until the doors to the Great Hall opened slowly to reveal the four long tables, and the familiar candles floating in midair above them. Professor McGonogall appeared from behind one of the doors and cleared her throat. Everyone went silent. "Follow me, please."

The hall echoed as the students and McGonogall made their way to one long table that was placed right in front of the head table. "Everyone please take a seat," ordered the professor. She then made her way to her own seat beside the Headmaster. Once she was seated, Dumbledore rose.

"Welcome everyone. I hope you all had a wonderful summer." Dumbledore smiled down at Harry. "I have brought you all here right now, because there are some things that I wish to discuss with you. First off, there will be two new rules being put into effect as soon as the school year starts."

Everyone became so silent it was as if a dementor had entered the room.

"I regret to announce that all Hogsmeade trips will be cancelled this year."

"NOOO!," Ron shouted. He hung his head in disbelief while Hermione rubbed his back whispering "It's okay, you can still get your butterbeers". The students began murmuring between themselves in disbelief. 

"Also," continued Dumbledore, "You will not be permitted to be outside on the school grounds after darkness falls."

The students spoke more loudly. Questions of "What?", "That's not fair!", and "You can't cancel our Hogsmeade trips!" filled the air.

McGonogall hit the side of her glass to get their attention once more. 

"As you all might have suspected, there is a reason behind all this. It has been feared for many years now, but Voldemort's power is rising rapidly. We must take all safety precautions to protect our students. These rules will help keep the school more safe for you."

"Voldemort's power is, is rising?," Harry questioned in disbelief.

"Harry, everything's going to be all right. Don't worry. Please don't worry," Ginny said, trying to comfort him.

"If any of you suspect, see, or hear of anything funny, anything suspicious at all, please do not hesitate to tell one of your teachers or myself immediately." Dumbledore looked once more at Harry, Ron, and Hermione. Dumbledore then clapped his hands together. "Now on to the good news!" _There can't possibly be any good news after that!,_ thought Hermione. She glanced over at Draco. He was staring at her again, ignoring the fact that Pansy was all over him. She quickly replaced her gaze on Dumbledore.

"This year, you will be able to throw a ball. It may be on any holiday you like. The day, name, theme, etc. will all be decided by this year's Head Boy and Head Girl, Hermione Granger and Draco Malfoy."

Ron gasped. " 'Mione! You didn't tell us that Malfoy was Head Boy!"

"I guess I forgot," replied Hermione. Indeed she had. She had always told them anything and everything she knew, but somehow she forgot to mention that. She didn't even bother to look up at Malfoy; she knew he was watching her. 

"With that said and done, let's eat!" With a wave of his hand, Dumbledore had made the golden plates on the table fill with food. The students worries began to melt away as they ate and talked merrily. When everyone had finished the last of their treacle pudding, the plates were cleared, and they were sent off to their dorms. The Prefects were escorted to their rooms by the heads of their houses. Hermione was just about to leave with Harry, Ron, and Ginny when Professor McGonogall spoke up. "Miss Granger, what are you doing?" 

"Excuse me?," Hermione replied with bewilderment.

"You aren't staying with the prefects, remember? You're Head Girl. You have your own room connected with Mr. Malfoy's."

Hermione's heart sank. She had completely forgotten. _What's wrong with me today?,_ she wondered.

"I'm sorry, Professor. It must have slipped my mind."

"It's quite alright. Now hurry along, dear. Professor Dumbledore's waiting for you." She turned around. McGonogall was right. He was standing next to Draco, smiling at her.

"See you all later," she said to her friends. Harry pulled her close. "If he does anything to you, anything at all, let me know." She looked up at him.

"I will," she replied. 

"Bye 'Mione," said Ron. Ginny waved. Hermione smiled at Harry with a reassurring look, and walked to Dumbledore. "I assume you're ready now, Miss Granger?," he asked.

"Yes Headmaster. Sorry to keep you waiting."

Dumbledore winked at her, then motioned for her and Draco to follow him to their rooms.

"Just because you're Hermione Granger, doesn't mean you can do things in your own sweet time," Draco whispered to her mockingly.

She glared at him. "Don't speak to me. I don't like to associate with Death Eaters." She knew she had gotten him good just by the look he made after she spoke. _You deserved it,_ she thought to herself. She smirked at him before speeding up to talk with Dumbledore.

What an odd place to end don't you think? *grins* I thought so. ~*Elven Goddess*~


End file.
